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The original was posted on /r/blockedandreported by /u/Safe-Cardiologist573 on 2024-11-13 14:32:04+00:00.

Relevance to the podcast: Article discusses the mental illness afflicting rapper Kayne West, who has been discussed on the B&R podcast in the past. Freddie deBoer, the writer, has previously guested on the podcast.

In this article, deBoer discusses the issue of mental illness causing its sufferers to behave in harmful ways. He mentions his own “breakdown” in 2017 and takes responsibility for his bad behaviour during that episode. He then discusses how mental illness can make its sufferers use bigoted language and be afflicted with conspiratorial thinking (pointing out, for instance, that schizophrenics often articulate anti-Semitic conspiracy theories). He also takes issue with the current attitude about celebrating the “neurodivergent”, arguing that this attitude exists with another attitude of “people with mental illness can’t do bad things”, and thus, harsh judgment of people who behave badly because their bad behaviour is partially or wholly due to mental illness.

DeBoer cites the rapper Kanye West as an example. West sunk his successful music career due to making appallingly bigoted comments about Jewish people. Deboer condemns these comments, but also points out that West is severally mentally ill with biopolar disorder, and is also surrounded by “yes-men” who don’t care about treating their employer’s illness. DeBoer then takes issue with the pop culture writer Nathan Rabin. Deboer points out that Rabin has written extensively about Kanye West, criticising West quite strongly. But he points out that Rabin has never mentioned West’s mental illness, or how that illness might be making West behave in a bigoted way. He finds this inconsistent due to the fact that Rabin has also written articles celebrating "neurodiversity " in people, but never once does Rabin consider that West’s bad behaviour may be partly due to West’s mental illness.

Some food for thought there.